Latch.



1.. W. BELL.

LATCH. APPLICATION FILED M615. 1916.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

JOHN W. BELL, OF CYITTHIANA, KENTUCKY.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Nov. 6, 1917.

App1ication filed August 15, 1916. Serial No. 115,034.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN IV. BELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cynthiana, in the county of Harrison and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved latch for doors, gates or the like and has as its primary object to provide a device of this character wherein the latch will normally gravitate to active position so that the latch will automatically lock the gate or door upon the closing thereof.

The invention has as a further object to provide a device of this character so constructed that the latch may be reversed end for end to assume a working position so that the device may be arranged upon a door or gate without respect to the mounting thereof.

And a still further object of the invention is to provide a latch which will be relatively simple in construction and which may be easily taken apart, as occasion may de mand.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view showing my improved latch applied to a door and illustrating the manner in which the latch is adapted to receive a lock forlocking the door,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view more particularly showing the mounting of the locking pawl of the latch, and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view clearly illustrating the mounting of the operating shank for the said locking pawl.

In carrying out the invention, the latch is formed with an elongated body. This body is preferably formed of suitable sheet metal and includes an outer plate 10 having opposite margins thereof bent to provide confronting coacting flanges 11, with the intermediate portion of the plate rolled to form a longitudinally extending channel member 12. Coacting with the plate 10 and removably received between the flanges 11 thereof, is a closure plate 13 overlying the channel member 12. The base thus constructed is designed for attachment to a door, gate, or other swinging member, in the manner illustrated in ings. For convenience, aconventienal type of door has been shown at 1st and the door jamb at 15. The body of the latch is arranged to extend transversely of the door 1 1 to be secured thereto by a plurality of screws,bolts, or other suitable fastening devices 16, extending through the said body upon opposite sides of the channel member 12 and acting to hold the closure plate 13 against displacement with the outer end of the latch body projecting beyond the free edge of the door to cooperate with the door jamb 15.

Freely mounted within the channel member 12 of the latch body, is an operating shank 17 which at its inner extremity, is bent laterally to provide a handle 18 er:- tending freely through a suitable opening in the door. This operating shank may be constructed from a piece of suitable metallic rod and, adjacent the outer extemity thereof, is formedwith a squared portion 19. Adjacent the squared portion 19, the plates 10 and 13 of the latch body are cut away to receive a locking pawl 20 removably fitted upon the shank to engage the said squared portion with the pawl projecting laterally and outwardly from the latch body. Adja-' cent its outer extremity, the pawl 20 is formed with a lock receiving opening 21 and at the adjacent terminal thereof, is provided with an overhanging shoulder 22.

Mounted to cooperate with the locking pawl 20 is a substantially U-shaped keeper 23. One arm of this keeper issharpened to sin: within the j amb 15 with the other arm extending through the jamb and formed to receive anut or other suitable fastening device for connecting the keeper therewith. As will now be observed, the pawl 20 will normally gravitate to active position and upon the closing of the door 14, the said pawl will ride over the keeper to be re ceived between the arms thereof and will then shift to engage the shoulder 22 there of with the keeper for automatically locking the door closed. When in such position, the shackle of a padlock may be inserted through the opening 21 to embrace the bight portion of the keeper forlocking the door and it will be noted that the lower Fi l of the drawit will thus be seen that 1 provide a verysimple and etricient construction for the purpose set forth and attention is directed to the fact that the pawl 20 may be removed and the latch body rcversedi'end for end so that when the said locking pawl is again applied to the operatingshank 17, the device may be used upon a door having its opposite edge free from that illustrated in the drawings. Accordingly, the improved latch may be applied to a door irrespective of the mounting thereof. Furthermore, the latch may be easily operated from either the inside or outside of the door.

Having thus described my invention, whatl claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A latch including a body, an operat: ing shank swingingly mounted thereon with one extremity of the shank provided with a handle, a keeper, and a locking pawl carried by the shank and normally gravitating thereon to active position to coperate with the said keeper with the body reversible end for end to reverse the position of the said shank and handle and with the pawl reversible with respect to the shank for reversing the normal disposition of the latch Ade-vice of the character described in cluding a body, an operating shank pivotally mounted thereon, a substantially L shaped staple, and a locking pawl mounted 7 upon the said shank and provided at its outer extremity with a shoulder with the said pawl normally gravitating upon the shank to cooperate with the said-staple to be received between the arms thereof With the said shoulder engaging over the bightportion of the staple.

3. A device of the character described including a body formed to provide achannel member with the said body cut away adjacent one extremity thereof, an operating shank freely mounted in said channel member, a keeper, and'a locking pawl mounted upon the shank and received within .the cut away portion of the body, with the said pawl normally gravitating upon the shank- Copies of this pete ntimay. beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,-

to active position to cooperate with the said keeper.

a. A device of the character described including a body, said body being formed with a plate bent to provide a channel member and having the margins thereof bent to provide coacting flanges, and a plate received between the said flanges to overlie the said channel member, an operating shank swingingly member to be retained therein by-said last mentioned plate with the-said shank provided'at one extremity witlr a laterally dil'BCiTtXllitlHCllQ a keeper, and a locking pawl mountedupon the opposite extremity of said shank and normally gravitating there-- on to cooperate with the saidkeeper.

5. A device 01": the character described including a body, an operating shank mounted thereon, a keeper, and a locking pawl mounted upon said shank-and movable from inactive position with the lower margin of the inner terminal of the pawl spaced from the body to active position engaging by the said margin with the body for rigidly supporting the pawl to fit between the body and the said keeper.

6. A device of the character described in cluding body, an operating shank mounted thereon, a l{66Pl,.11Cl a locking pawl mounted upon said shank and provided at its outer extremity with a shoulder, the pawl being movable to active position to engage the shoulder with the said keeper with the outer extremity of the pawl abutting with the keeper and with the inner extremity of the pawl abutting with the said body for rigidly supporting the pawl to fit between the body and the keeper.

1. A device of the character described in cluding a body, an operating-shank mounted-thereon,- a keeper and a lockingpawl mounted upon said shank and provided'at its outer extremity with a shoulder, there being an opening formed in the pawl and disposed to receive a lockfitting through tie pawl around the keeper tor locking the pawl in active position with the said shoulder engaging with the keeper.

In testimon I whereof I aflix m si nature J OHNW. BELL. [L. s.]

Washington, D. 0.?

mounted in said channel 

